The thoughts of a nurse with type 1 diabetes

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Post script blog: ageing well (Moves like Jagger)

Readers of my blog will know that a few days ago I posted about some of my personal reflections relating to ageing well. My reflections came from experiences that were not particularly positive. This blog is to provide a counter-balance!

Last night I had the great pleasure to go with a group of women to a Michael Jackson tribute ‘thingy’. We were in a restaurant so had food, some wine and then we sang our hearts out to songs most of us knew, because we were around when they were new.

But in addition to those of us who were gently starting to live our middle age (when does middle age actually start anyway?) I had the pleasure of the company of two wonderful women who provide a great role model for me. Eileen and Pat are 86 and 85 years old respectively. They were singing along with the rest of us until past 11 pm and much to my delight got up to dance with me. And I mean dance!

Eileen in particular really likes to dance and I don’t mean tea dances either – I mean DANCE! She explained that she had been dancing since she was 14 years old and told me she would go anywhere to dance; town halls, salvation army halls, church halls and she used to love to jive. I loved dancing with her! We danced to ‘Moves like Jagger’ and she can!

Eileen and Pat are sisters and whilst both of them have had sadness in their lives and I am sure like all of us have days where they are not so good they kept pace with all of us and I am sure enjoyed themselves.

My impression? They don’t think they are old. They see dancing now in the same way that they saw dancing then. I was chuffed when Pat told me I was ‘quite trendy, wasn’t I?’ High praise indeed.

So, please take a look at these lovely pictures and I wish you the same joy and happiness I saw last night when we all sang together.